AI can hinder recruitment and lead to a loss of talent

Despite HRreview’s poll stating that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will benefit recruitment the most out of HR areas, as well as Brian Kropp, group vice president, of Gartner’s HR practice agreeing with this, a report has found that automation can actually lead to companies missing out on top talent.

The report produced by Carmichael Fisher, a consultant and researcher company found that 90 per cent of job seekers reject the notion of AI going through their CV. The majority (86 per cent) of job hunters would prefer their application to be reviewed by a human, rather than an applicant tracking system.

The report is called ‘The impact of artificial intelligence within the recruitment industry: defining a new way of recruiting’ and written by James Wright, a technology consultant from Carmichael Fisher.

It has been argued that AI is very effective at streamlining the recruitment process, but only if the applicant’s CV contains the relevant keywords relating to the position that has been advertised.

Video interviews were seen as just as unpopular of an alternative.

Just under three-quarters (73 per cent) believe that automation used in the hiring process will actively worsen their perception of a business and its brand.

However, 84 per cent of candidates feel the current recruitment process needs to change and is currently ineffective.

Research showed that people do support AI’s ability to lessen bias and improve diversity.

Mr Wright said:

The use of AI in the preliminary stages of recruitment is useful to analyse the market and to assist with areas of potential human error such as unconscious bias.

However, once you have a candidate shortlist, the process becomes intrinsically human and interactive. One of the most common words we found used in the study, when asking participants about using AI for the whole hiring process was ‘impersonal’.

The role of a recruiter is entirely based on consolidating solid and trustworthy relationships with candidates, getting to know them and their wants and desires. While the future of HR and hiring certainly will welcome AI to take over those more administrative tasks, the role of the human recruiter isn’t going anywhere yet.

HRreview’s recent poll which asked “what area of HR do you feel the introduction of AI will benefit the most?” showed that half (56 per cent) believe it to be recruitment. Mr Kropp also voted for recruitment as he believes in order for AI to work you need to have a clear outcome and recruitment is the easiest part of HR to measure if it has had a positive impact on it.

The poll had 48 votes in it.

 

 

 

 

Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.